Latest news with #CeileighNiedermayr
Time Out
an hour ago
- Sport
- Time Out
Professional Fighters League
Mark your calendar for 19 July, when the Professional Fighters League (PFL) brings a landmark event to Cape Town's GrandWest Arena. In a first for the continent, PFL Africa will debut alongside the high-stakes PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai. The evening promises intense MMA competition, with a lineup that blends international names with top African fighters. Among the highlights is Ceileigh Niedermayr, who will make history as the first South African woman to compete in the PFL. She'll be joined by fellow South Africans Nkosi "King" Ndebele, Shannon van Tonder, and Justin Clarke, all stepping into the cage in front of a home crowd.
Qatar Tribune
15 hours ago
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Ukah, Niedermayr face off in Kinshasa ahead of historic PFL Africa debut
Tribune News Network Doha The Professional Fighters League (PFL) held an open workout ahead of the debut of the inaugural season of PFL Africa, which is set to take place on Saturday, July 19th at the Grand Arena, GrandWest in Cape Town, South Africa. The open workout took place at the Champions Academy RDC Gym in Kinshasa, Congo, and featured Nigeria's Juliet Ukah and South Africa's Ceileigh Niedermayr. The two PFL Africa stars will face off in a Showcase Women's Strawweight bout at PFL Cape Town. In front of the fans and media in attendance, Ukah and Niedermayr showcased their skills in a public training session before facing off for the first time ahead of their highly anticipated showdown. Tickets for the event are on sale now via Ticketpro. Juliet Ukah said: 'I'm very happy to be on the first PFL Africa card, and my fight with Ceileigh is going to be an exciting one. We're going to be representing the two biggest MMA nations in Africa, and we want to help put African MMA in the global spotlight. Compared to her, I think I'm the more experienced fighter and the better striker, so I'm comfortable wherever the fight goes. I expect to get the finish, but I don't mind going to a third round if needed. 'Ceileigh, let's bring out the best in each other and show the world how well African women can fight!' Ceileigh Niedermayr said: 'It's truly an honor to be part of the first-ever women's fight in PFL Africa. This fight camp isn't just about preparing for my next opponent — it's a reflection of my lifelong dedication to martial arts. I'm always pushing myself to grow, to evolve, and to become the best fighter I can be. 'On fight night, I'm bringing a new level of Smiley Savagery to the SmartCage. I have a lot of respect for Juliet as a fighter, and I welcome the chance to test myself against her, but I don't think she's ever faced anyone like me. I'm expecting an exciting, high-level battle — and I'm ready for it.' The historic PFL Cape Town event will kick off the 2025 PFL Africa Tournament, featuring First Round matchups in the Heavyweight and Bantamweight divisions. The event will also be headlined by five must-see PFL Champions Series bouts, including a Middleweight World Championship main event between titleholder Johnny 'Pressure' Eblen (16-0) and challenger Costello 'The Spaniard' van Steenis (16-3).
Arab News
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Arab News
PFL Africa stars Juliet Ukah and Ceileigh Niedermayr train in front of fans at open workout
KINSHASA: As the countdown continues to the start of the inaugural season of PFL Africa on July 19, Professional Fighters League stars Juliet Ukah from Nigeria and Ceileigh Niedermayr from South Africa took part in an open workout on Wednesday. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport The fighters, who will face off in a Showcase Women's Strawweight Bout during the PFL Africa opener at the Grand Arena, GrandWest in Cape Town next month, showcased their skills for fans and media at the public training session, which took place at the Champions Academy RDC Gym in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 'I'm very happy to be on the first PFL Africa card and my fight with Ceileigh is going to be an exciting one,' said Ukah. 'We're going to be representing the two biggest MMA nations in Africa and we want to help put African MMA in the global spotlight. 'Compared to her, I think I'm the more experienced fighter and the better striker, so I'm comfortable wherever the fight goes.' She added that expects to get the finish but would not mind if the fight went to a third round if needed. Niedermayr said: 'It's truly an honor to be part of the first-ever women's fight in PFL Africa. This fight camp isn't just about preparing for my next opponent, it's a reflection of my lifelong dedication to martial arts. 'On fight night, I'm bringing a new level of 'Smiley Savagery' to the SmartCage,' she added, referring to her professional nickname. 'I have a lot of respect for Juliet as a fighter and I welcome the chance to test myself against her.' She said she has never faced anyone like Ukah and expects an 'exciting, high-level battle and I'm ready for it.' The historic PFL Cape Town event will mark the start of the 2025 PFL Africa Tournament and feature first-round matchups in the heavyweight and bantamweight divisions. The headline bouts include five must-see PFL Champions Series clashes, including a Middleweight World Championship main event in which titleholder Johnny 'Pressure' Eblen (with a record of 16-0) will take on challenger Costello 'The Spaniard' van Steenis (16-3). Tickets for the event are available from Ticketpro.
Newsweek
a day ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
PFL Holds First-Ever MMA Event in the Congo
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The PFL continues to expand its international footprint, and the MMA organization is set to launch PFL Africa with its first event on July 19 in Cape Town, South Africa. More news: UFC Legend Jon Jones Has Officially Retired Ahead of the first event, the PFL also held the first-ever MMA event in the Congo, as flyweight combatants Nigeria's Juliet Ukah and South Africa's Ceileigh Niedermayr engaged in an open workout in front of a very excited crowd. @PFLMMA officially held the first-ever MMA open workout in Kinshasa, Congo, ahead od the upcoming PFL Cape Town event. Nigeria's Juliet Ukah and South Africa's Ceileigh Niedermayr showcased their skills in front of a massive crowd. All videos and images are courtesy of PFL. — James Brizuela (@james_brizuela) June 25, 2025 Ukah and Niedermayr are set to face off against one another in a Showcase Women's Strawweight bout at PFL Cape Town. The PFL Cape Town card will be headlined with a PFL Champions Series main event featuring Johnny "Pressure" Eblen (16-0) and challenger Costello "The Spaniard" van Steenis (16-3). Nigeria's Juliet Ukah and South Africa's Ceileigh Niedermayr posing for photos at their open workout ahead of PFL Cape Town. Nigeria's Juliet Ukah and South Africa's Ceileigh Niedermayr posing for photos at their open workout ahead of PFL Cape Town. PFL More news: Exclusive: Mike Perry on Dirty Boxing Success and Partnering With Jon Jones Also, Dakota "Dangerous" Ditcheva (14-0) returns for a massive fight against Sumiko "Lady Samurai" Inaba (8-1). With the importance of having an MMA fight in the Congo, along with Africa in general, Ukah and Niedermayr spoke about their excitement for the fight but also being able to showcase their skills in their home country. Ukah stated: "I'm very happy to be on the first PFL Africa card, and my fight with Ceileigh is going to be an exciting one. We're going to be representing the two biggest MMA nations in Africa, and we want to help put African MMA in the global spotlight. Compared to her, I think I'm the more experienced fighter and the better striker, so I'm comfortable wherever the fight goes. I expect to get the finish, but I don't mind going to a third round if needed. Ceileigh, let's bring out the best in each other and show the world how well African women can fight!" Niedermayr said: "It's truly an honor to be part of the first-ever women's fight in PFL Africa. This fight camp isn't just about preparing for my next opponent — it's a reflection of my lifelong dedication to martial arts. I'm always pushing myself to grow, to evolve, and to become the best fighter I can be." "On fight night, I'm bringing a new level of Smiley Savagery to the SmartCage. I have a lot of respect for Juliet as a fighter, and I welcome the chance to test myself against her, but I don't think she's ever faced anyone like me. I'm expecting an exciting, high-level battle — and I'm ready for it." PFL Cape Town begins at 4:30 PM SAST / 10:30 AM EST with the PFL Africa Tournament, followed by the PFL Champions Series, which begins at 8:30 PM SAST / 2:30 PM EST. For more on MMA, head to Newsweek Sports.
